Vanishing Act
by Rokesmith
Summary: A secret project gives a Tokyo corporation the ultimate weapon to fight Weiss: one of their own. Rated for violence and swearing.
1. Prologue: Chitose Pool

**Vanishing Act**  
Rokesmith

**Disclaimer: **Weiss Kreuz, its characters, indices etcetera belong to Takehito Koyasu, Kyoko Tsuchiya and Project Weiss. This fanfic was written for fun rather than profit and any resemblances to persons living or dead are purely coincidental.

**Author's Note:** This fanfic was written with the idea of focussing on Weiss as assassins and, more specifically, just how dangerous these young men are. Various aspects of the story was inspired by the stylised but very violent action movies of Hong Kong and Korea and the prologue was borrowed from a similar sequence in the American remake of the film _Bangkok Dangerous_. I should also note that the information on Ken's backstory and capabilities are extrapolated from some of what he does in the anime but also the _Four Leaf Clover_ Drama CD. There are also more general references to information picked from the anime and manga canons which, despite their contradictions, I've done my best to combine in a way that makes most sense to me. As usual, I'm eternally grateful to Laila for her encouragement, as well as helping me figure out the fine details of the plot and for proof-reading the results.

* * *

Prologue: Chitose Pool

At twenty to eleven on a Friday evening, Ushio Ogawa swims lengths in Chitose Heated Pool in Setagawa. He swims a slow, precise crawl up and down the twenty-five metre pool; a few hours of exercise in an otherwise sedentary week. The only other swimmer left ten minutes earlier. For the next twenty minutes until the pool closes, he has it to himself.

But he is not alone.

While he is at the opposite end of the pool, a figure steps from the locker room wearing a black wetsuit, swimming cap and plastic gloves. Only the face is exposed: the expression is empty, the eyes never move from Ogawa.

The figure slips into the pool, the sound masked by Ogawa's splashes. Two long, slow breaths and then the head disappears below the surface. Ogawa continues to swim, reaching the deepest part of the pool, unable to see the shadow moving towards him under the surface. The head surfaces in his wake, breathes deeply through the nose and is gone again.

Ogawa feels something brush his leg. He stops and turns to look, then something smooth and slippery grips his left leg just below the knee. He opens his mouth to shout but only manages a syllable as the grip on his leg pulls him below the surface. His ears clang, his eyes burn, his mouth and nose fill with water. He kicks out as hard as he can, but connects with nothing. The grip on his left leg tightens, and whatever is holding him fastens onto his right foot, dragging him deeper.

His lungs catch fire. Blood pounds in his skull. He sees the shadow below him and recognises it. He thrashes against the grip but only fills the water around him with bubbles. The lights above him burn his eyes, but he cannot reach them. Every second, the surface is further away.

His body betrays him. His mouth opens and water fills his lungs. His last breath bubbles upwards and bursts on the surface. The body of Ushio Ogawa is still.

Thirty seconds pass, and then the surface is breached. The black figure breathes deeply and the sound fills the empty hall. It holds Ogawa's head face down in the water for two more minutes. There is no more movement, so the figure releases the body to float and swims to the side. The figure walks to the locker room without looking back.

Stripped of the wetsuit and cap, a well-muscled young man stuffs them into a plain Nike sports bag and retrieves his clothes from a locker. His expression is still empty. His eyes are shot red by chlorine. As he pulls on his grey polo shirt, faint white surgery scars show against the dark skin of his back.

He puts on a pair of denim jeans and a black leather jacket and walks slowly out through the front door with his head down. Outside, he pulls a Hiroshima Carp baseball cap over his unruly hair. He walks for five minutes to a side street where a pale blue Nissan Cefiro is parked.

A man in a dark suit gets out of the driver's side. "Did you do it?" he asks.

"He's dead."

"Well done, Hidaka. Get in."

Ken Hidaka gets into the car and it drives away.


	2. Chapter One: Taiho

Chapter One: Taiho

It is two weeks earlier, and Weiss are in the basement of the Koneko listening to Persia. Aya leans against the wall, Ken hunches on the sofa, Youji reclines next to him, Omi sits in the chair. Manx stands beside the television and waits.

"Men of Weiss, in the past two months, seven homeless people in Setagaya have murdered strangers without provocation. When questioned, none were able to explain their actions. A Kritiker agent has discovered that the attackers were used as test subjects by the Taiho Corporation in a secret project run by company executive Hakuba Yoshida, his chief scientist Ushio Ogawa and his liaison with the SDF, Major Norio Nitta. Men of Weiss, deny these dark beasts their tomorrows!"

The screen goes dark, and they blink as the lights come up. Manx places the data folder down in front of Omi. Inside are photos of the targets, copies of police reports and information from the Kritiker agent. Omi skims and categorises the contents.

"Are the homeless usually not violent?" Aya asks.

"Usually they're pretty stable," Youji replies. "They come from all sorts of backgrounds, but they don't tend to drink or take drugs any more than anyone else and they try to keep themselves tidy where they can. They certainly didn't go around attacking people for no reason. I had a job once looking for a salesman whose business had collapsed and I found him sleeping rough on the banks of the Sumida next to a man who said he had a PhD in European literature. He told me enough about Goethe that I believed him."

"Doesn't the government do anything about it?"

"No, Ken-kun. They don't talk about it and they do very little to help. According to the latest report there are more than three thousand homeless in this city and almost all their help comes from private organisations."

"The Taiho Corporation funds a homeless shelter on the edge of Kinuta Park," Manx says. "All six attackers questioned remember going there but very little afterwards."

Aya asks, "Six? What about the seventh?"

Omi reads the reports. "After the first six murders... the attackers just stood there until they were arrested and when they were questioned they claimed to have no idea about their crimes or why they had committed them. The seventh attempted to escape... but he ran into the path of a bus."

Ken looks over his shoulder. "What the hell are they doing to them? What's Taiho do?"

"It's a defence contractor, Ken-kun" Omi tells him. "They supply the Self-Defence Forces, mainly adapting new civilian technology for military use. Most of the materiel they develop themselves is classified."

"Kritiker currently has no information from our agent as to how they are manipulating these men into killing."

Youji lights a cigarette. "So they come in off the street to this shelter, something happens – probably at Taiho – and then they commit murder. Was there any connection between them and their victims, or between their victims and Taiho?"

"None that could be established by the police."

"Murdering strangers is harder than most people think," Youji says, and blows out a stream of smoke. "I guess we'd better make sure Kritiker can keep its monopoly on that."

* * *

Hakuba Yoshida sits in his office reading Ushio Ogawa's latest report. He finishes it, drinks the last of his cold coffee and turns to look out of the window. He enjoys the view over the streets around Setagaya Business Square towards Yoga Station until the clock above his office door strikes five. Fifteen seconds later, Ami Dewa opens the door and bows.

"Doctor Ogawa and Major Nitta are here, sir."

"Show them in, please, Dewa-san."

She bows again and leaves. Yoshida rises from his chair. He is in his fifties, short and broadly built, but the muscle of his youth has long since turned to fat. Nitta is the opposite: tall and solid, his hair, suit and glasses arranged with military precision. Ogawa is between them. His expression is sour but his eyes are sharp.

The three men exchange bows. Ami brings in fresh coffee. They sit and light their cigarettes.

"I'm very impressed with the report, Ogawa-san," Yoshida says. "In your opinion, are you ready to move on to the next phase?"

"I am confident we are ready to proceed, sir," Ogawa answers. "Do you agree, Major?"

Nitta looks at Yoshida. "I see no reason why not. Finding the correct subject may be a complication."

Yoshida turns back to the final page of the report. "You recommend the final test subject should be below the age of twenty-five and already have military training."

"The younger the better," Nitta adds. "Under twenty, if possible. The average enlisted volunteer is nineteen and we must prove the process will work on them."

"Why don't we just ask for a recruit fresh out of basic training?" Ogawa asks.

Nitta stubs out his cigarette. "Impossible. I am under strict instructions to ensure that there is no connection between the SDF and these tests."

"Then we must find a subject from the available pool," Yoshida says. "I will issue instructions to the shelter to ask potential candidates about military training. If we cannot find one in a month, we will reconvene to consider other options."

Ogawa stands and bows. "I'll run final checks to prepare for the next subject."

"I will report our progress," Nitta says.

Yoshida returns their bows. "Thank you, gentlemen. I hope it will not be as much as a month before we meet again."

* * *

It is not until after ten that evening that Omi gathers his team in the kitchen. He stands while Aya sits, Youji stands by the window and blows a stream of cigarette smoke out into the night, and Ken hunches over a bowl of ramen at the table.

"The only information I have so far is from the public domain and my usual sources," he explains. "The Taiho Corporation has a very modern firewall that it's going to take some time for me to bypass so I can access their network."

"Is that normal?" Youji asks.

"Most large companies have systems like this, Youji-kun, and Taiho has several major defence contracts so they're probably worried about industrial espionage. I can find some of Nitta's information through the military, but the since the company's special projects will likely have even heavier levels of security, it might be easier if we were able to get access to a terminal already on the network."

Ken drops his chopsticks into the empty ramen bowl. He looks up at Omi, then Youji, then Aya.

"You don't have to ask, Omi. I volunteer."

"Are you sure, Ken-kun?"

Ken takes the bowl to the sink without looking up. "Come on, Omi. I'm the only choice and we all know it. You need to plan the mission, Aya doesn't have much undercover experience, Youji could never pass for homeless and if the network's got a password more complicated than Yoshida's birthday, neither of them would know what to do with the computer if they got to it."

"I keep meaning to do something about that." Youji tries to smile, fails, and stares out of the window.

"It might help if you learned to stop asking about the damn any key," Ken responds. "And it would make me feel a hell of a lot better if we knew what they were doing to these guys."

"Drugs?" Aya suggests. "Hypnosis?"

Omi shrugs and pours himself a mug of coffee. "I don't think so, Aya-kun. According to the reports, the attackers were tested after they were arrested and nothing unusual was found. Nothing showed up on the autopsy of the seventh man either."

"Anyway," Youji says, "you can't drug or hypnotise someone into doing something they don't want to do. If you put enough of any kind of drug into someone to make them want to kill someone, they probably wouldn't be capable of doing anything with any kind of thought behind it. They wouldn't kill one guy, they'd run through the streets attacking anyone they came across, ripping their clothes off and screaming that the cars were dragons or something like that."

Omi sips his coffee and lets Youji finish. "I did a bit of reading on military research into hypnosis. As far as anyone knows, it was never made to work."

"Perhaps Taiho is the first."

"Perhaps, Aya-kun, but there's no point in speculating without any evidence. And since we don't have any, you should be as careful as you can, Ken-kun."

"Don't worry, Ken, I'll back you up."

"You'd better, Youji."

* * *

A week later, Ken wakes up under a cherry tree in Kinuta Park. Grass stains his cheek, dew soaks his hair, early cherry blossom tickles his chin. He uncurls slowly, stretching his muscles and feeling every one of them ache. He feels colder and hungrier than he can ever remember being.

"Jesus Christ."

He does his best to brush the dirt off his heavy coat and looks at the sky. The clouds are heavier than they were yesterday and he knows it will rain soon. He shivers, unable to imagine the ordeal of surviving on the streets in winter.

He starts walking towards the Yato River. When he reaches it, he follows it from one side of the park to the other, walking from the Tomei Expressway to the cycle path. If he sees anyone else, a salaryman with an umbrella or a jogger in branded clothing, he shies away, hoping they haven't seen him. He keeps his eyes open for policemen or anyone else taking an interest in him, but no one does.

After half an hour of walking, he no longer feels so cold inside and the ache in his muscles has gone, but the pain in his stomach is worse. He pulls down the brim on his baseball cap and walks out of the park towards the Ouka Homeless Shelter.

The shelter is a long, low building converted from a gym. There are tables, chairs and even a sofa for visitors to sit. There is a smaller table at the far end beside a serving hatch. Ken's first visit was two days earlier where he collected a bowl of noodles and ate it without speaking to anyone. He only stayed to eat, then went to scribble a note to Youji in a phone box two streets away.

Today he takes off his hat when he comes in, says "Thank you," to the man who serves him a bowl of noodle soup and sits down. He unzips his coat, pulls off his gloves and begins to eat. He's so hungry he doesn't look up until the bowl is empty. When he does, he sees a girl in her early twenties sitting opposite him. She's wearing a shirt with the shelter's logo on it and a name tag that says 'Maori Ezura'.

"Hi," she says.

"Hi."

"Do you mind if I ask you some questions?"

"Why?"

"The government doesn't do any research into the homeless in this country, so it's up to the shelters. We try to find out as much as we can about the people who visit our shelter as we can. We co-ordinate what we find out with other shelters all over the country and inform anyone in the government willing to listen."

"Why me?"

"You're new here aren't you? I haven't seen you before. Do you mind?"

"Okay."

She smiles. She takes out a form and a pencil from a cardboard folder. She asks his age and name like she's really interested.

"Ken Hidaka. I'm nineteen."

She writes it down without question. "Where are you from?"

He knows his accent will never pass for Tokyo, especially when he's upset. "Niigata City."

"I'm from Kofu," she says. "I'm studying medicine at Tokyo Medical and Dental."

"What sort of doctor do you want to be?"

She gives him a teenage girl's smile. "I'm not sure yet, but I don't have to decide till the end of this year. Hidaka-san, do you mind if I ask you how you became homeless?"

"No, I don't. And you can call me Ken."

"Thank you, Ken."

Ken's eyes flicker away from her face for a moment. Over her shoulder he sees a casually dressed man standing in the corner of the room. The man is no taller than Ken, heavy set and with his hair in a ponytail. He is watching Ken.

Ken looks back at Maori. "I was in a gang at school. We got into a lot of fights and one day we had a big one and some of us got arrested. I got convicted of assault and sent to prison for a year. When I got out I volunteered to join the army, but I didn't tell them I'd been in prison, and after I'd finished training they checked and found out. They threw me out and I didn't have anywhere else to go and couldn't get another job. I came to Tokyo to try and get work at the docks or sign onto a ship, but I haven't been able to."

"I hope you find something."

"Thanks," he says.

He gets up, pulls his coat back on and leaves. She doesn't try to stop him. He thinks about looking back but doesn't let himself.

* * *

Ken spends the rest of the day in the park. He finds three other homeless men and one woman. He doesn't approach them, watching from so far away they can't see him clearly. In the afternoon, he follows them to the shelter and waits up the road as they go in. He watches twenty-three people enter and keeps watching as the rush hour starts. He keeps moving, not staying in the same place, putting his hood up and down, zipping and unzipping his coat, taking his cap off, all to subtly change his appearance and make him harder to pinpoint.

The rush hour makes it harder to see, but also harder to be seen. Ken gets closer and counts everyone he saw go into the shelter leave it. When business hours are over, the staff leaves too. He doesn't see Maori.

Before rush hour is over it's dark and he can't see anymore. He wraps himself up, puts his hat back on, pulls his hood up and shoves his hands in his pockets. The people on the streets ignore him just like they ignore each other as he walks back to the park.

Ken is only fifty metres inside Kituna Park before he decides he is being followed. He does not look back, he can hear the footsteps. He leaves the main path and heads through the shadows towards where he slept. Behind him, the grass is scraped by boots which crush the blossoms and thump on the damp soil.

Ken reaches the tree and turns. The pursuer is between him and the lights, but in the silhouette he can see the man who watched him in the shelter. He does not wait, he steps forward and jabs. The man twists, the blow catches his left shoulder. There is something in his right hand, down by Ken's waist, so Ken seizes his wrist and twists. The thing falls to the ground and he drives his left fist up into the man's jaw.

He is about to drive his knee up towards the falling jaw when he hears the step behind him. His height saves him: something is sweeping down towards his shoulder and he turns in time to sweep it to the side. It catches his arm above the elbow and rips his sleeve, but he doesn't notice as he drives his other arm straight forward. There's an explosive retch and the second shadow staggers.

Ken steps back to stay on balance. He feels two icy pinpricks on his back. He only feels it for an instant, then his body burns. A second later, he cannot feel anything at all. He doesn't feel himself fall or strike the ground. He lies there, absolutely still.


	3. Chapter Two: M9

Chapter Two: M9

Aya returns from the early morning delivery run at quarter past seven the next morning. He leaves the delivery bike in the shop's car park and climbs the building's back stairs. He drops his helmet in his room before entering the kitchen. Omi is sitting at the table with his laptop. Youji stands over him with a cup of coffee and a cigarette.

Aya pours himself a cup and drops a folded piece of paper onto the table. "Ken's report from yesterday. He went to the shelter, talked to a girl called Maori Ezura who said she was a medical student. He was being watched by someone but no one approached him."

Youji picks up the note. He skims Ken's messy handwriting and hands it to Omi. Omi reads it twice, folds it up and tucks it away.

"Have you found anything on the security camera footage?"

"Maybe," Youji says.

Omi turns his computer. A black and white image of a Tokyo street fills the screen. Beneath the sign for an Office Depot one man presses another against the shop front. The people on the street around them scatter, some moving towards the attack, others away. This is the murder of Fukashi Ishiguro, stabbed eight times on his way to buy a leather chair for his new office.

"This is the third attack, Aya-kun," Omi says. "Can you see the tall man next to the lamp post?"

"Yes."

"Can you see what he's holding?"

Aya leans over and squints. The man's right arm is extended towards the attack. His hand is blurred, but holding a flatted tube.

"A camcorder?"

"We think so, Aya-kun. Of course, there is nothing particularly unusual about someone with a video camera in Tokyo, but Youji-kun and I checked the police report and none of the witnesses said they recorded the attack or handed in a tape."

Youji opens a manila folder and places two enlarged photos on the table beside the laptop. There is a crude circle in yellow highlighter drawn on each photo. Youji indicates them and hands Aya a magnifying glass. Aya looks through it and sees an indistinct figure the same shape as the man on the computer screen. One of the hands is a dark, boxy blob.

"That's the first attack and that's the fourth," Youji explains. "They look like the same guy but we've got no idea who he is, or if he's even got anything to do with this."

"Why would they record the attack?" Aya asks. "A written or verbal report would be sufficient."

"They wouldn't even need that," Youji replies. "They could just have read the paper. There's never much to report but it's all in there. We've been trying to figure out why they'd need an actual tape of it since breakfast."

Omi looks at his watch. "Perhaps you and Aya-kun can consider that today. Youji-kun, could you look up Maori Ezura, just in case?"

He folds up his laptop, pulls on his jacket and grabs his school bag from under the table. As he heads for the door, Youji calls after him.

"Hey, Omi, what wasn't in the papers was what's going to happen to the attackers. Do you know?"

Omi looks back. "The ones who have been tried have been sentenced to life imprisonment, Youji-kun. The others will probably be the same."

He leaves. Youji stubs out his cigarette and finishes his coffee.

"Then after a fashion, Taiho has seven more lives to answer for," he says to himself.

* * *

Doctor Ogawa waits in the office of his private laboratory on the top floor of the Taiho building. The room has no window and no view, but Ogawa needs neither. As the digital clock on his desk ticked over to seven a.m. the door opens and Yoshida comes in.

Ogawa stands and bows. "Good morning, sir. The candidate is almost ready. I apologise for the delay, we had to give him time to recover from the taser shock first."

"You need not apologise. The fact he required such restraint makes it more likely he is the man we are looking for. Please lead the way."

They walk through the cramped network of rooms at the top of the building. In the corner of the building is a room with thick walls made of transparent plastic and a warning sign on the door. Inside, two scientists monitor a large plastic cylinder modelled on an MRI machine. Ken Hidaka lies inside the machine in a hospital gown, only his bare feet visible from the door. Inside the machine a sequence of multicoloured lights flash rhythmically.

One of the scientists in the room looks up towards Ogawa and Yoshida. He holds out three fingers. The observers wait. Three minutes later, the lights in the tube stop and the tray with Ken on slides out. Ogawa slides open the plastic door as the scientists manually check Ken's pupils, pulse, breathing and blood pressure.

"Everything is normal, Ogawa-san."

"Thank you. I'll handle it from here."

Ogawa waits until the others have left the room. He walks over to Ken. Ken looks up at him. The boy's face is blank.

"He should be completely under our control now, sir. Sit up."

Ken sits up on the tray and steadies himself with his arms behind him.

"Stand up."

Ken slips off the tray and stands up straight. His body shivers but his face shows no sign.

"What is your name?"

"Ken Hidaka."

"How old are you, Hidaka?"

"Nineteen."

Ogawa turns to Yoshida. "Would you like to test him, Yoshida-san? All his answers should be totally honest, but please be specific."

Yoshida walks up to Ken. He stands directly in front of the boy and stares at him. His breath ruffles Ken's hair. Ken blinks slowly.

"Where were you born?"

"Niigata City."

"Are you employed by the SDF or the Tokyo Police?"

Ken's voice does not change. "No."

Ogawa looks up at Yoshida but does not speak. "Follow me," he says to Ken.

Ken follows him into a room on the other side of the corridor. Other than the large mirror in one wall, the room is empty except for a small table. On the table is a pile of folded clothes.

"Get dressed."

Ken shows no sign of being observed as he takes off his gown and drops it onto the floor. He turns towards the table and puts on the jeans and hooded sweatshirt.

When Yoshida sees his back, he flinches. "Were did you get those scars?"

"In a fire." Ken does not look up from pulling on his socks.

Once Ken is dressed, Ogawa turns to Yoshida. "One last test to make sure the programming holds, sir. Hidaka, sit down, back straight, until you're told otherwise."

They leave the room and return to Ogawa's office for a cup of coffee and a cigarette each. Ken sits down on the floor with his legs crossed, his back straight and his hands on his knees. He looks straight ahead. His chest rises and falls. Every thirty seconds, he blinks. Other than that, for half an hour he does not move.

Eventually, Ogawa returns. "Is there anything you want?" he asks.

"Can I have some food?"

* * *

Two hours later, Ken stands in a long empty room in the sub-levels of the Taiho Building. The walls are solid, rough wood with layers of soundproofing behind them. The floor is bare except for a rectangular blue mat on which Ken waits and a small table beside it. In front of him is a sheet of safety glass blocking off the room's only exit. Behind this glass, two technicians set up a video camera on a tripod and focus it on Ken.

Major Nitta comes into the room and through the door in the safety glass. He carries a thick briefcase which he places on the table. Then he turns to the camera and nods.

"Military Project Togishi, conducted with the aid of the Taiho Corporation, tape number six, for the Defence Minister's eyes only. Stage Two, Subject One. The subject's name is Ken Hidaka, he is nineteen years old and has received basic military training but never served in the SDF. The following is a demonstration of the subject's skills and the efficiency of the project."

Nitta turns to Ken and starts give him simple instructions like a teacher. Ken jogs on the spot for ten seconds, he touches his toes, he stretches, he does twenty press-ups, he does twenty sit-ups, he does ten star jumps, he stretches again. Then he stands at ease.

"As with the previous subjects, Hidaka's personality remains intact and accessible. For example, Hidaka, what is your favourite soccer team?"

"Gamba Osaka."

"When was the last time you saw them play?"

"Last year, in the semi-final of the Emperor's Cup."

Nitta turns back to the camera. "I hope this is a satisfactory demonstration. Now on to the retention of more practical skills. Set up the target please."

One of the technicians comes into the room and walks to the far end. He unfolds a frame and hangs a long sheet of paper from it. The sheet bears the silhouette of a man with black dots in the head and the centre of the chest. Then he sets up a thick foam board behind it. As this happens, Nitta opens his case and places two objects from it on the table.

"Hidaka, do you know what this is?"

"Yes."

"What is it?"

Ken picks up the gun and holds it flat in his palm. "M9 semiautomatic pistol, standard issue sidearm in the United States Army." He points at the small metal box on the table. "Magazine holds fifteen nine millimetre rounds. Maximum effective range is fifty metres."

"Demonstrate the weapon on the target by firing four rounds at the chest and three at the head, then make it safe again."

Nitta stands out of the way of the camera. Ken points the pistol towards the target and picks up the magazine. He slips it into the pistol's grip and slaps it home. The slide clicks loudly as he works it back and forth to chamber a round. He takes the Weaver Pistol Stance, feet apart and one behind the other; arms stretched out and slightly bent at the elbow. He locks the gun to fire and looks down the iron sights.

The M9 booms four times in two seconds. The sound fills the room. There is a pause, then three more shots.

Then Ken unlocks the gun, pulls back the slide to eject the eighth round, releases the magazine, cocks it again and places weapon and magazine down on the table. He stands at ease. As he does so, the camera zooms in on the target. The two groups of shots are clustered within the two black circles in clusters barely two centimetres across.

"I think Hidaka's performance speaks for itself," Nitta says. "Now I will let it continue. Hidaka, what are your standing instructions for combat?"

"Do not kill, risk killing or cause lasting damage such as broken bones or ruptured internal organs unless specifically instructed to do so."

"Send in Ioki."

Ioki comes in. He and Ken have the same build, but he is five years older and ten centimetres taller. One of the technicians moves the table and Ioki stands on the other side of the blue mat.

"Ioki, you know what to do? Hidaka, pin this man to the mat."

Ioki takes a standard kickboxing mixed guard: left hand out, right hand level with his face, fists clenched. Ken raises his hands, palms open, and puts one foot behind the other.

Ken steps forward and strikes. He pushes Ioki's left hand aside with his right hand and jabs through the gap with his left. Off balance, Ioki kicks, but Ken steps aside, bends, and drives both fists into Ioki's side in quick succession. Ioki spins, Ken ducks the blow, catches his other arm and twists it around behind him. Ioki tries to push backwards but Ken kicks the back of his knee and his leg gives way. Ken slams him into the mat on his face, arm still twisted around, and then looks up at Nitta. Ioki hammers the mat with his other hand. Nitta looks at Ken and shakes his head. Ken releases the arm and stands up. Twenty seconds have passed since the first blow.

Nitta returns his attention to the camera. "Previous subjects have shown that they will obey any order they receive. As you can see, Hidaka has now demonstrated the skill with which a trained subject can do so."

He bows. The technicians turn the camera off. Ken is escorted back up to the top floor and the care of Doctor Ogawa. Ioki is assisted out of the room. Nitta takes the camera tape and returns to his small office on the twelfth floor where he makes a telephone call.

"Is the Defence Minister available? Major Nitta."

He waits for five minutes, listening to nothing, then, "Please tell the minister to send a courier to collect the package... one hour? Thank you."

An hour later, Nitta's phone rings. He picks it up, listens for a few seconds, then replaces it. He takes the elevator down to the car park where he finds a dark green Nissan Bluebird parked near the entrance. The car window slides down and a hand reaches out. Nitta does not see the man in the car, just his white jacket sleeve. He does not pay the arm any attention, he just hands over the padded envelope containing the tape and walks away.

The car is gone by the time he reaches the elevator. He goes back to his office, then calls the floor above and asks Ami if Yoshida is available. Five minutes later, he goes upstairs and straight into Yoshida's office.

"I have delivered the tape."

"Is it likely the minister suspects anything?"

"He has no reason to and he can't know I have a copy on my computer. I'll edit a compilation of the subjects together at home, just in case."

Yoshida smiles. "Thank you, Major. Now we can begin."


	4. Chapter Three: Kami Shakujii

Chapter Three: Kami-Shakujii

Early the same morning, Youji and Aya finish opening the shop and head down to the basement. Youji wonders what the girls think they have been doing for the last week, and what they've decided has happened to Ken.

The only illumination in the basement comes from the computer. Aya flips the light on and Omi blinks. There are bags under his eyes and his hair is greasy and matted. He is still wearing yesterday's school uniform.

"Youji-kun, Aya-kun, what time is it?"

"Bed time," Youji says.

"I got through the Taiho firewall." Omi sips a cup of coffee he doesn't notice is cold. "I'm sorry it took so long. I had to figure out the packet filter rule sets to hijack the proxy and use that to penetrate the application layer. And I had to do all that at sixty-four bit encryption without triggering any security alerts."

Youji nods and lights a cigarette. "Don't think I don't appreciate the effort you've gone to, Omi, but I've no idea what any of that meant."

"What did you find?"

Omi sags in his chair. "Nothing. That's why I was up all night. I was afraid that the targets would have a higher level of firewalls or encryption than the rest of the network, but it's worse than that. I don't think their computers are on the network at all. There's no network address assigned to Nitta or Yoshida."

"What about Yoshida's secretary?" Youji asks. "She'd be keeping track of him."

"I can't find that either, Youji-kun. I've been able to assemble a partial schedule for Yoshida based on information from his department heads and others, but there are some major gaps."

"That's a lot of precautions for a CEO to take."

"It is, Aya-kun. They even make it hard to find out their addresses. Yoshida's isn't listed in the personnel files and the internal contact details are just for his secretary. All I have on Nitta is a mobile phone number but to find out where he actually lives I'd have to hack into the Eastern Army base in Nerima, which will take another week."

Youji puts his hand on Omi's shoulder. "Don't beat yourself up about it, Omi. These guys are being very careful. They're obviously very worried about their security. At least you managed to find out where Nitta probably lives. What about Ogawa? You haven't mentioned him yet, do you have any good news there?"

"Some, Youji-kun. He was easier. I know where he lives and I know the parts of his schedule which don't involve his work. I think his special projects division has its own network that isn't connected to the main one at all. We'd to access that directly."

Youji steps back and stubs out his cigarette. "We still haven't heard from Ken. I'm starting to get worried."

"Ken-kun knows what he's doing, Youji-kun."

"So do these guys. If we haven't heard from him by tomorrow, I'm going to go and find out what's going on."

"As far as we know," Aya says, "Ken's infiltrating the company just as we asked him to and he can hardly report to us while he's doing it. All you will achieve is blowing his cover."

"Aya-kun has a point, Youji-kun."

Youji snaps his lighter shut. "You know, Omi, I don't mind being wrong. I just don't like it when Aya's right."

"You don't have to. But we can't wait until they trust Ken enough to give him computer access or hope that Omi is able to find something he missed."

"Right again, Aya. We'll do it the old fashioned way then. The file says Nitta leaves the building on foot and Yoshida takes his car, and they both do it when traffic won't get in the way too much. This afternoon we'll tail them both home. I'll take Nitta, Aya can have Yoshida."

"And I," Omi adds, "will get ready for school."

Youji grins. "If anyone asks why you're dozing off in class, just tell them that Ouka kept you up all night."

"Youji-kun!"

"What? Knowing her, she'd probably go along with it."

* * *

Youji arrives at the Taiho building before the rush hour starts. From the outside there is nothing remarkable about it. He walks from the train station to the building, then retraces his steps several times. The walk takes an average of six minutes. Then he circles the building, counting doors. There is the front door, the side entrance and exit to the underground car park, an emergency exit and a fire escape on each side.

The entrance to the car park is watched by a security guard, but there is nothing obstructing the exit except a keycard-operated barrier. Youji listens for a car and then slips down the short ramp. It only takes him a few minutes to find Yoshida's S-class Mercedes and a few more to plant the radio tag behind the rear bumper. The only sounds he hears on the way out are his own footsteps.

There are three bars on the street. Youji picks the cafe thirty metres down from Taiho's front door on the opposite side of the road and sits next to the window. He lights a cigarette and waits patiently for the waitress. He smiles at her but keeps one eye on the window as he orders korokke and Calpis water.

Even for Tokyo the food is expensive, but the korokke tastes as though it was prepared with care and thought. Youji only has time for one piece before his phone rings.

"Did you make the delivery?" Aya asks.

"Of course. You should be able to see it from where you are."

There is a click and a pause as Aya looks at the display screen in his car. The Porsche is parked in a car park near Yoga Station. Youji imagines Aya trying to stay comfortable in the cramped front seat with only a borrowed book to pass the time.

"I can see it clearly," Aya says eventually.

"Enjoy your evening then," Youji tells him. "If you get bored of the IRA, I'm pretty sure I left the one about the submarine under the passenger seat last week. And you might want to get Omi to look up where the secretary lives. You might end up there tonight."

"Why?"

"Youji Kudou's first law of private investigation. Assume any rich businessman is sleeping with his secretary until you find out who his mistress actually is."

He hangs up and goes back to his meal. He finishes the korokke and orders a coffee. He makes the coffee last half an hour. Then he asks for a slice of castella cake. He ponders lining every early-eighties skyscraper in Tokyo next to each other and challenging the people who work in them to tell the difference. He smokes another cigarette and drinks another cup of coffee.

Nitta is one of the first of Taiho's employees to leave the building. Youji leaves the rest of his coffee and lets him pass before he leaves the cafe. Nitta moves quickly towards the station, head up and back straight. He does not look behind him. Youji stays on the opposite side of the road until they reach Yoga Station. They travel in the same carriage towards Shibuya Station, but Nitta shows no sign of seeing him. There is already little seating left so Youji stands near the door and unfolds a map of Tokyo's formidable rail network.

He studies the map with genuine care until the train pulls into Shibuya. Youji leaves the train first and allows himself to be caught in an eddy of crowd until Nitta has passed. The crowds are thick, but Youji uses his height to keep track of the solider as they travel up through the station. Whenever he feels he is too close, Youji pauses to look carefully at one of the platform signs.

Nitta arrives on the Yamanote Line platform with three minutes before the next train is due. Youji hangs back at the platform entrance. The train arrives and Nitta boards it. As soon as he is onboard, Youji runs from the platform entrance along the train and jumps onto the crowded carriage as the doors begin to close. He breathes hard for a few minutes, then unfolds his map again.

Nitta gets off at Takadanobaba and boards the Seibu-Shinjuku Line. The crowds force Youji to stand less than two metres away from him. He reads his paper and Youji reads his map. Neither man looks up.

Ten stations pass in ten minutes. Nitta folds up his paper and gets off at Kami-Shakujii. Youji stands on the platform and unfolds his other map. He looks at it until Nitta has walked down the steps to the station's north exit, then follows. He follows Nitta for two minutes, then stops to ask a traffic cop the way to Sophia University so that when the cop tells him to walk up to the Shin-Oume Highway and turn left, he is able to set off purposefully after Nitta. Nitta turns left and just after the corner goes into a yellow apartment block seven storeys high.

Youji walks past the building and keeps going up the road. He lights a cigarette and crosses the road. On the other side, he leans against a lamp post and watches the door to the apartments. It is getting dark and the door is well lit from the inside. Five minutes pass and no one comes out of it.

Before Youji's light turns itself on, he crosses the road again. He has to wait outside the apartment building for five minutes before he can slip in behind someone else. They walk into the elevator without looking back and Youji examines the rows of small mailboxes for Nitta's name. He finds it on the box for apartment 43.

There is a coffee bar on the corner. Youji finds a table where he drinks three cups of coffee and smokes five cigarettes. He takes a napkin and writes down the address of the apartment block and several other points about its location.

Finally the sun sets and he can see almost nothing on the far side of the street. The people on the pavement are just shadows. He waits ten more minutes and then calls Omi.

"I have the address."

"Thank you, Youji-kun. Is there anything else you can do there?"

"I don't think so, Omi. It's getting too dark for me to work. Any word from Aya?"

"Aya-kun called half an hour ago. The job is taking longer than he thought and he doesn't think he'll get back until late. You should go home, Youji-kun."

"If you say so, Omi."

Youji hangs up. He puts out his cigarette and walks to the station without looking back.

* * *

Aya dozes in his car. The Porsche is not a good place to sleep: his feet are wedged under the pedals, his elbows will slip off the wheel or the armrest and the seat was not designed for comfort. With the engine off there is no warmth in the car, so he shivers in the cold evening air. His hair flops over his eyes, there are crumbs in his lap from the abandoned bento box on the passenger seat, and a heavy book discarded half open over the handbrake. The inside of the car is dark except for a faint red light escaping from behind a panel on the dashboard.

He sits up suddenly and looks around. This level of the car park is almost empty. He shivers and stretches his neck. His watch tells him it is nine p.m. He checks he is alone and then gets out of the car. He walks around it once, then twice. On his third circuit he hears a beep from inside.

Aya jumps back into the car and opens the dashboard panel. The red light on the screen is drifting downwards. Aya climbs inside, pulls the book off the handbrake and starts the engine. It takes him two minutes to pay and leave the car park. By then the dot is almost at the bottom of the screen so he drives south under the Tomei Expressway. The traffic is light so he is able to catch up with the dot and follow it across the Tama River and into Takatsu.

The dot heads to the left and continues for almost a kilometre, turns left and stops. Aya makes the turn a minute later and drives past a row of large houses. He slows down enough to see Yoshida's Mercedes backing into one of the driveways.

There are many parking spaces nearby and he manages to find a vacant one. He opens the book again and half an hour passes slowly. The dot on the tracker remains stationary. Aya leaves the car and walks quickly back towards the house. Three rooms are lit. In one, he sees Yoshida at a desk carefully arranging several piles of paper. In the second, a girl in a high school uniform is doing the washing up. Yoshida's wife is in the third room, lit only by the television.

Aya keeps his eyes on the windows as he walks up the driveway and to the car. He reaches beneath the bumper and detaches the tracking device. When he looks up again the only change is that the kitchen light is off. The girl has joined her mother in front of the TV.

He switches off the tracker and walks back towards his car. On the way, he makes a mental note to tell Youji that he has seen no sign of the secretary.

* * *

At ten minutes to ten, Omi carefully sketches the final stage of the Calvin Cycle: the addition of ATP to ribulose 5-phosphate to generate ribulose 1,5-phosphate and ADP. When the diagram is complete, he rechecks his answers on the light dependant phase of photosynthesis and then tucks his biology homework into his backpack. He is half way through making sure he has everything he needs for school the next day when Aya comes down into the basement with a can of Pepsi in his hand.

"Yoshida didn't leave his office till nine," he says. "He drove straight home. I wrote down the address. He had dinner with his wife and daughter and went back to work in his home office."

"Thanks, Aya-kun. I'm sorry it took so long."

"Did Youji follow Nitta home?"

"Yes, Aya-kun. Nitta left his office before the rush hour, so we should be able to intercept him at his apartment. Yoshida and Ogawa stay at their offices late so we'll probably have to break into the Taiho Building."

Aya quietly sips his drink. "Can you do that?"

Omi nods. "I've been working on some ideas, Aya-kun. It might be best if we split up so you and I can take the office and Youji-kun can talk his way into Nitta's apartment block. What do you think?"

"Youji could kill Nitta when Nitta comes home and then join us in time to break into the building."

"Yes, he could, Aya-kun. It depends on the level of security at the Taiho Building. We'll all have to do more surveillance until we have a better idea what that is."

"What about Ken?" Aya asks.

Omi shrugs. "We still haven't heard anything from him. Youji-kun is very worried. Before he went out he asked me to contact Manx so he could talk to the Kritiker agent watching the Taiho Building."

"Is that wise?"

"Manx gave Youji-kun permission as long as he doesn't say he's part of Weiss," Omi answers. "They'll meet tomorrow morning. I hope Youji-kun finds out something. I'm worried about Ken-kun too."

Aya stands over Omi. Omi looks up at him.

"Ken can take care of himself. He knows what he's doing."

Omi says quietly, "I've known Ken-kun for much longer than you have, Aya-kun."

"Then you shouldn't worry about him," Aya replies. "Either you can follow Youji's example and take a break or you can focus on the mission."

"I'm going to keep working," Omi tells him. "Perhaps I'll find something if I access Taiho's security systems."

Omi switches on the computer. Aya drops his empty can into the bin and leaves the basement. Twenty minutes later he comes back down and puts a bowl of instant noodles down on the table. It is another hour before Omi looks up from his work. The noodles are cold, but he eats them anyway.


	5. Chapter Four: Seven Eleven

Chapter Four: Seven Eleven

At half past ten the next morning, a man in his early twenties pulls up outside the Taiho Building on a Yamaha Zuma scooter. There is a large black satchel slung over his shoulder. He takes off his helmet and walks inside to reception. The receptionist looks at his credentials, gives him a visitor's pass and directs him to the building's main elevator. The courier travels up to Yoshida's outer office. Ami Dewa signs the receipt on Yoshida's behalf and the courier hands her a plain manila envelope with nothing written on the cover but Yoshida's name and the word 'personal'. The courier takes the elevator back to the reception, hands in his pass, gets on his scooter and drives away.

Ami Dewa takes the envelope into Yoshida's office and places it on top of his other papers. Yoshida does not look up from his computer. It is half an hour before he opens the envelope and looks at the printed papers inside.

He reads them twice and then presses his intercom. "Dewa-san, please ask Major Nitta to come up."

Nitta is doing currency conversions on his computer when his phone rings. After the call, he closes down the program, ejects a floppy disk from the drive and puts it in his inside jacket pocket. He locks his door behind him when he goes upstairs.

Ami shows him in. "Will that be all, sir?"

"Make sure we are not disturbed, Dewa-san."

Nitta bows, sits down and lights a cigarette. "You've heard from the minister?"

Yoshida gestures to the papers. "He was very impressed with Hidaka's performance, Major. He commended us on our choice of subject and the speed with which we were able to locate someone so suitable given our limited resource pool. Those were his exact words. He was very generous with his praise."

"I'm sure Doctor Ogawa will be pleased to hear that."

"However, before the minister deems the project a success and gives permission for an expanded trail, he wishes to see a further test of the process."

"What more is there to demonstrate? I doubt Hidaka has the training to operate heavy equipment like a tank or a helicopter."

"The minister understands that. He requests a demonstration of the process outside a laboratory environment. He says it does not require any of Hidaka's training. Any normal, everyday activity will suffice."

"A dry run for home leave?"

"I assume so."

Nitta stubs out his cigarette. "I'm sure Doctor Ogawa and I can arrange something to the minister's liking."

"Thank you, Major. And what of the other matter?"

"I've made contact, Yoshida-san. I should have a reply by tomorrow."

"I appreciate your efficiency."

"I do not like to waste time, Yoshida-san. If that will be all, I'll visit Doctor Ogawa and arrange for Hidaka to go shopping."

* * *

At the same time, Goushi Ubai walks into the sushi bar in Yoga Station. He is there to meet a man on the orders of his Kritiker contact. The man will be in his early twenties with dark hair. He will be wearing a blue suit with a red tie. He will be reading yesterday's _Ashai_. Ubai is to address him as Rei. The man will do the same.

Youji watches him come in. He watches him choose a mixed plate and a bowl of soup. He makes a conscious effort not to look at him too closely.

Ubai sits down. "Hello, Rei."

"Hi, Rei," Youji says. "It's been a long time."

"Yes. Why did you want to get in touch?"

Youji lights a cigarette. He offers Ubai one. Ubai takes it.

"How's work?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary. I might be about to be transferred to a new office, but I haven't heard anything definite yet."

"That's good to hear. While you're still there, I was wondering if you could do me a favour. I have a friend working at the same place as you. He's called Ken Hidaka."

"I don't know the name."

The two men focus on their food. Several minutes pass before Youji speaks again.

"Ken's just started out there. I'd really appreciate if you could keep a look out for him. He's only nineteen and he's had a rough time lately. Make sure he's okay and if he looks like it's getting too much for him, let me know?"

Youji pulls the ash tray over and stubs out his cigarette.

"I'll see what I can do," Ubai says.

"Thanks. Keep in touch." Youji gets up. "And enjoy the soup, it's really good here."

He walks out of the bar without looking back. Ubai looks down at his soup until he has gone. He finishes the soup quickly. It is very good.

When the bowl is empty, he pushes back the ash tray. Beneath it is a photograph. The dark haired boy in it is unmemorable except for his expression of annoyance. Ubai slips the picture into his jacket pocket and leaves the bar.

* * *

"I don't understand this, Major. The process is perfect. We have proved it over and over again. What will sending Hidaka to the shops achieve?"

Nitta waits for him to finish protesting. "Doctor Ogawa, this request comes directly from the minister. He wants absolute proof that the subjects can interact with everyone else without arousing suspicion. If they cannot, it would be as useless as if it prevented them from fighting effectively. All Hidaka has to do is pass this final test."

"For the moment," Ogawa responds. "There'll be final test after final test, there always is. The process is perfect, but if the only way to prove that is to have every subject buy groceries then that's what I'll have them do."

"Thank you, Doctor Ogawa."

"What do you want him to get? If you're sending him to the shops I could use something to eat. I had to work through lunch."

Nitta takes a piece of paper from Ogawa's desk and writes a short list on it. "Do you approve?"

Ogawa reads the list. "A bento box, two packets of gold Benson and Hedges cigarettes, a copy of the _Nikkei Business Daily_ and a bottle of Diet Coke. I hope this is enough for the minister."

"I'm sure it will be. Bring Hidaka. I'll set up the camera."

Nitta positions the camera in the empty observation room as before. He records a short introduction before Ken is brought in. Nitta hands him the list and a five thousand yen note.

"Hidaka, there is a Seven Eleven down the road on the left. Go there, buy the things on this list and come back. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

Ken reads the list and puts it in his pocket with the money. Nitta takes the camera and carefully places it into a black satchel. They leave the lab and take the elevator down. Ken pays Nitta no attention. He walks out of the building and turns left down the street.

Across the road, Goushi Ubai sits at a bus stop reading a newspaper. He sees Ken come out of the building. He takes the photograph out of his pocket and looks at the boy, then back at the picture. When he is certain, he takes a pad from his pocket and scribbles a note, then gets up to follow Ken down the road.

Nitta emerges from the Taiho Building with the satchel slung over his shoulder. He rests one hand on it to keep the camera steady. The traffic on the pavements is light, and Ken walks in a straight line, so it is simple for Nitta to keep the camera aimed at him.

Ken reaches the Seven Eleven after two minutes. He goes in. Nitta lingers outside. Ubai watches them both from the other side of the street.

In five minutes, Ken has found everything on the list. The young woman behind the till smiles at him and bows as he leaves. He gives her a nod in return. He walks with the brown paper bag under his left arm back towards the Taiho Building. Nitta follows him back in. Ubai sits back down at the bus stop and writes several more notes.

When they arrive back in the lab, Ken puts the bag down on a table and waits as Nitta puts the camera back on its tripod.

"What did you buy, Hidaka?" Nitta asks.

Ken takes the items in the bag out one at a time and puts them on the table. "The _Nikkei Business Daily_, a bottle of Diet Coke, two packets of Benson and Hedges cigarettes and a bento box."

Nitta shuts off the camera and turns to Doctor Ogawa. "I'll record a closing message for the tape if you want to have your lunch."

"Thank you," Ogawa says.

He takes the bento box and one of the packets of cigarettes and leaves the room. Nitta closes the door behind him. Nitta opens the bottle and takes a few sips.

"Would you like some, Hidaka?"

"No, thank you."

Nitta checks the camera again to make sure it is turned off. "Hidaka, do you think you were followed to the Seven Eleven?"

"Yes. You followed me."

"Do you think anyone else followed you?"

"Yes."

"Who was it?"

Ken is still for a few seconds, then he answers: "There was a man sitting on the bus stop on the other side of the road. He followed us to the Seven Eleven and back."

"Describe him."

"He was in his mid-thirties, a few centimetres taller than you with light brown hair and a small moustache. He wore a dark grey suit with a blue tie and carried a newspaper."

"Have you ever seen him before?"

"No."

Nitta smiles. "Thank you very much, Hidaka."

* * *

Two hours later, Nitta enters Yoshida's anteroom and stops in front of Ami Dewa's desk. "I need to speak to Yoshida-san urgently."

"Yoshida-san is in a meeting at the moment. Either you can wait or I can call you when he is available."

"I'll wait."

He sits down on the opposite side of the room and picks up a copy of the Taiho Corporation's internal magazine. He reads about the company's rising stock and their new head of international marketing. Ami works on a spreadsheet until her phone rings.

"Yoshida-san's office. He's unavailable today. Monday afternoon at three. Thank you."

She hangs up and makes a note on her computer's calendar. She gets up, looks through the filing cabinets that take up one of the office's walls, checks a file and sits down again.

Forty minutes pass, then the door opens and Yoshida comes out of his office with the company's senior accountant. They exchange bows, then he looks over at Ami.

"How long until my next appointment, Dewa-san?"

"The executive from British Aerospace will be here in ten minutes, Yoshida-san."

When the door is closed behind them, Yoshida asks, "Do you think the minister will approve of the latest results, Major?"

"Yes, Yoshida-san. Hidaka was successfully able to buy groceries without arousing suspicion. I can show you the recording before I send it to the minister."

"I'm afraid I do not have time for that, Major. What did you wish to see me about?"

"The process would never fool anyone who already knew the subject, but that is a decision for the minister, not us. I came to tell you that Hidaka was followed. I've done some checking and the man who followed him has been seen outside this building several times this week."

"Who do you think he is?"

"Does it matter?"

"Of course it matters!"

Yoshida leans over his desk towards Nitta. Nitta remains silent and waits for him to relax.

"The man is probably an agent of the minister. He is no fool. Given the sensitivity of the project it makes sense that he would have someone watching us even if he doesn't yet know anything that would make him suspicious."

Yoshida falls back into his seat. "What does that mean for us?"

"We will have to take extra precautions, Yoshida-san. We have no way of knowing what this agent has already reported to the minister. If he had any definite proof of our plan we would know by now, but he might have enough to make him suspect."

"So what do we do?"

Nitta lights a cigarette. "Either we abandon our scheme, or we find a scapegoat."

"Only Doctor Ogawa has the same level of access."

"Yes, Yoshida-san. Doctor Ogawa is the obvious choice."

Yoshida turns away and looks out of the window. "But what if the minister believes Doctor Ogawa instead of us? He may simply hold us all responsible."

"Yoshida-san... a dead man cannot protest his innocence."

Yoshida flinches, but does not look back. "Are you certain that is necessary?"

"We cannot afford to take chances, Yoshida-san. Either we abandon our plan now or we commit one more betrayal."

Yoshida turns his chair. He looks over the table at Nitta. He looks at his watch. Five minutes of the meeting have passed already.

"This is a hard choice."

"Yes, sir. It always is."

"It is a hard choice," Yoshida repeats, "but a simple one. It's Ogawa or us. It would have to appear to be an accident. Anything else would be too obvious. Do you think Hidaka could do it? He has the training and he could be ordered not to say anything."

"He could, Yoshida-san."

Yoshida looks down at his desk. His hands do not shake, and he wonders why. Nitta stubs out his cigarette and waits.

"Doctor Ogawa goes swimming on Friday evenings," Yoshida says quietly. "He could... drown. Today is Friday."

"Yes it is, Yoshida-san."

* * *

Yoshida does not think about his decision for the rest of the afternoon. His attention is focussed on discussing countermeasures to electronic warfare with the envoy from England. Their working dinner ends at eight and Yoshida returns to the Taiho Building. He rides the elevator to Ogawa's lab and finds Ogawa still there with half of his team.

"Yoshida-san, did you hear that we passed the latest test?"

"I did, Ogawa-san," Yoshida says.

"So what can I do for you, Yoshida-san?"

Yoshida lights a cigarette on his third attempt. "I came to tell you that I am very impressed with the effort you have put in this week and I would like you and your team stop work for the weekend."

"We still have a lot of work to do, Yoshida-san."

"It can wait until Monday. At the very least I expect you to spend this evening and tomorrow off. This project will not proceed efficiently unless you are rested."

Ogawa nods. "Very well, Yoshida-san. Since you insist."

"I do."

Ogawa turns to his team and smiles. "You heard Yoshida-san. Pack everything up and make sure you get plenty of rest this weekend. We'll have a busy week. Oh, what about Hidaka, Yoshida-san?"

"I'll arrange something for him," Yoshida replies.

"Thank you very much. Goodnight, Yoshida-san. I'll see you on Monday."

"Yes," Yoshida says.

He hurries out of the lab and does not look back.


	6. Chapter Five: Yellow Chrysanthemums

Chapter Five: Yellow Chrysanthemums 

The next morning at quarter past ten, Youji is woken by a ringing. His head pounds. He groans and squeezes his eyes shut, but he is awake.

"Phone!" he calls. "Aya, phone!"

There is no response. All he can hear is the phone as though it were ringing in his ear even though he knows it must be downstairs. He waits for it to stop but it doesn't. Each repetition makes him hate it more.

He stumbles out of bed just to make it stop. The sound is just as loud when he reaches the extension in the kitchen. He is tempted to pick it up and slam it down again, but he thinks the ringing will just restart.

"Yes?"

"Youji?"

"Manx?"

He is awake now. He forces himself to concentrate. The ache in his head fades.

"I need to speak to Omi," Manx says.

"It's Saturday morning," Youji tells her. "I think Omi's at school. What's going on? Has something happened to Ken?"

"As soon as Omi returns, tell him to call me."

"Manx, what the hell is going on?"

"Ushio Ogawa was found dead in Chitose Heated Pool last night."

"Doctor Ogawa, our target? Well, it wasn't us."

"We know. The official verdict will be an accidental drowning."

"Official story? What actually happened to him then?"

Manx cuts him off. "Omi will no doubt tell you."

The line goes dead. Youji stares at the phone. He is wide awake now but he can still feel the ache of tiredness and dehydration inside him.

"Damn," he says.

He puts the phone down and paces around the kitchen. He opens the cupboards and finds them almost empty. He looks at his watch. He pours a large glass of water and drinks it with a pair of aspirin pills, then has another glass. He has a long bath, washes his hair and puts on fresh clothes. Then he sits in the kitchen filling the ash tray until Omi comes home.

* * *

Omi leaves Youji and Aya in the kitchen and calls Kritiker in his room. He is gone for twenty minutes. In the kitchen, Aya makes a cup of coffee and sits quietly at the table. Youji stands at the window with a cup in one hand and a cigarette in the other. When Omi comes in, he is still in his school uniform, but with his tie loose and his collar undone. He walks quickly to the sink, pours himself a glass of water and sits next to Aya. Youji puts his cigarette out and joins them.

"As Manx told Youji-kun, one of our targets drowned in a swimming pool last night," Omi says. "Kritiker says the police are going to release a verdict of accidental death."

"It wasn't, was it?"

"No, Youji-kun. The police coroner confirmed he did drown, but there was bruising on one of his ankles that they didn't report. Doctor Ogawa was pulled down and held under. Kritiker wanted me to confirm it was not part out our mission."

"What did they say when you confirmed it was not us?"

"That they just wanted to be sure, Aya-kun."

Omi's head drops towards the table. He only just holds it up. Youji and Aya look at each other. They wait for Omi to continue, but he does not. Youji breaks the silence.

"Omi, what's wrong?"

Omi looks up. His hair hides his eyes.

"Aya-kun, Youji-kun... I've made a terrible mistake."

"It's Ken, isn't it?"

"Kritiker think it could be, Youji-kun. The agent you spoke to yesterday reported that he saw Ken-kun go in and out of the Taiho Building. He just went to the shops, but he was being followed by Major Nitta, and he was certain Major Nitta had a camera in his bag."

"Just like the others," Aya remarks. "What if he is under their control?"

"Then if any of us make it out of this mess alive, we'll owe him one hell of an apology."

Omi does not smile. "How much has Ken-kun told you about what he did before Weiss?"

"He played soccer."

"After that, Aya-kun. When Ken-kun started working with Kritiker they asked him to join a group of insurrectionists who were hiding from the government in the mountains. His mission was successful and he was able to turn the members against each other, but while he was doing it they trained him for the revolution they were planning."

"Damn," Youji whispers. "So that's where he got all that stuff from. He never said and I never asked but I should have realised that's not something they teach you in the J-league. Omi, exactly what did they teach him?"

"To be an urban guerrilla, Youji-kun. They taught him the martial arts we've all seen him use, but they also taught him to use pistols, automatic rifles and even grenades. He knows how to make pipe bombs, hotwire cars, and fight against police and even the army by stealth or openly."

"And if they have him, they have all that. Not to mention everything he's learned since he joined Weiss."

"Could he have given them us?" Aya asks.

Omi shrugs. "I don't know, Aya-kun. They have no reason to assume Ken-kun is anyone's agent. Everything he knows can be explained by his cover of army basic training. Even if they have done something to him, it may make Ken-kun unable to betray us. Kritiker have no indications of a security breach."

"So we may be wrong?"

"I hope so, Aya-kun."

Youji lights another cigarette. "We'll need proof one way or the other, and fast, but there's a question we're in danger of missing: whether Ken did it or not, why was Ogawa murdered anyway? And if it was Ken, he must have done it on Taiho's orders, so why the hell would they murder one of their top scientists just as he finishes this great breakthrough?"

"I don't know, Youji-kun." Omi blinks and firmly pushes his hair out of his eyes. "We have a lot of questions we should find answers to as quickly as possible."

Youji grins. "I hoped you'd say that."

* * *

Major Nitta is checking through the typed reports on Doctor Ogawa's office computer when Doctor Fukumoto comes in.

"Can I help you, sir?" Fukumoto asks.

"Yoshida-san called me about Doctor Ogawa."

"Yes, sir. Are you here to make sure the project can continue?"

"I am."

Fukumoto's head drops. "We can. We have everything we need and we'll be back to work first thing on Monday. Will I be in charge of the team?"

"Yoshida-san will confirm your promotion by Monday."

"Yes, sir. Thank you sir."

Nitta stands up. "One more thing. Do you know where Doctor Ogawa kept his personal notes?"

"In his briefcase," Fukumoto answers. "He would have left it at home. If you go there to pick it up, could you pass on all our condolences to his wife?"

"I will."

Nitta leaves the Taiho Building and catches a taxi to Ogawa's house, a compact building north of Setagaya Dori and near the Tokyo University of Agriculture. He rings the bell and the door is answered by Etsuko Ogawa. She is forty-two, tall, slender and elegant. She wears no makeup; her eyes are bloodshot and her expression is empty.

"Good afternoon," she says.

Nitta bows deeply. "Ogawa-san. I am Major Nitta. I worked with your husband."

She bows slowly in return. "It's nice to meet you, Nitta-san. Come in, please."

He follows her into the house's main room and looks around. It is clean and tidy with everything in its place. There is a large sofa against one wall with two women sitting on it. The kitchen unit has a large basket of yellow chrysanthemums on the main counter. There is a broken plate on the floor beside the oven.

One of the other women offers him a glass of water, which he takes. "Ogawa-san," he says, "I've come on behalf of everyone who worked with your husband at Taiho to offer our sincere condolences. Your husband was a valued worker and an irreplaceable colleague and friend."

"Thank you, Nitta-san."

"Yoshida-san also asked me to let you know that he plans to give a hundred thousand yen towards the cost of the funeral."

Etsuko Ogawa nods. "I'm very grateful for that, Nitta-san. Please tell Yoshida-san that I appreciate his generosity."

"I will, Ogawa-san. Would you excuse me for a moment?"

"It's the first door on the right," one of the other women says helpfully.

On his way back from the bathroom, Nitta slips into the main bedroom. The bed is undisturbed. There is a desk facing the window. On it is another, smaller, basket of chrysanthemums and an incense candle. The candle has gone out. Nitta relights it and then looks under the desk and around the bed. He cannot see Ogawa's briefcase.

He slips out again and returns to the main room. Etsuko Ogawa is lying in the corner of the sofa with her eyes closed. She does not open them when Nitta comes back in. One of the other women stands up instead.

"I'm sorry, Major. My sister is exhausted."

Nitta nods. "I understand." He hands her one of his cards. "If Ogawa-san needs anything, do not hesitate to call."

"Thank you, Major. And when you next see him, please could you thank Yoshida-san for the flowers." She gestures to the basket. "They were very generous."

Nitta looks over at the chrysanthemums for a few seconds, then he nods. "I will. Goodbye."

He walks down the steps and around the corner. Then he takes out his phone and dials Yoshida's number. It rings five times before it is answered.

"Hello, Major. The police called me just before my meeting began and they indicated they were treating Doctor Ogawa's death as accidental."

"Yes, Yoshida-san. I have heard. Did you send flowers to Doctor Ogawa's wife?"

"Not yet, Major. Now, I would like you to meet me in my office at five. In light of Doctor Ogawa's death we have matters to discuss."

"I'll be glad to, Yoshida-san," Nitta replies. "And you needn't bother sending flowers. Ogawa-san has more than enough already."

* * *

In the basement of the Koneko, Doctor Ogawa's Dictaphone finally hisses and clicks to a stop at twenty-five past four. Omi stops typing and turns his chair around. Youji extinguishes his final cigarette and rubs his eyes. He reads over his own scribbled thoughts and carries them over to Omi. They sit for a few minutes and then compare notes.

They leave the basement and find Aya in the kitchen with everything else from Doctor Ogawa's briefcase spread out on the table. Omi flops into a chairs while Youji turns on the coffee machine and joins them.

"Did you find anything?" Aya asks.

"We found plenty," Youji replies. "The notes were very detailed. Unfortunately, we don't exactly know how this process they invented works or whether it's got any weak points, and there were no clues as to why want to kill Ogawa. On the other hand, we know for sure that anyone under the influence of the process can do anything they could do normally but is totally suggestible so they won't question any order no matter what it is."

"They can even plan and adapt if the orders are vague," Omi adds.

"I found a draft report saying the process would work on anyone," Aya says. "None of the test subjects are identified by name."

"They weren't named on the tape either. There's enough to correspond with the information on all the attackers we got from Kritiker, but no names. There's also no mention of whether the latest subject is Ken or not. He seemed very happy with him, though."

"I think we should confirm that it is Ken-kun before we carry out the mission. Kritiker needs to know."

Youji returns to the table with a mug of coffee for each of them. "So how do we do that?"

Omi hunches over the table. "I still can't find a network connection to Doctor Ogawa's secure projects. He didn't seem to take his work home with him but perhaps Yoshida or Major Nitta do. Since Yoshida has a family and many company departments to monitor, I don't think we could safely examine his home office in enough detail. I'd like to avoid infiltrating the Taiho Building at this point unless it's absolutely necessary so the only option remaining is trying to find something at Major Nitta's apartment."

"What if we can't?"

"There has to be something, Aya-kun. And something is better than nothing."

* * *

Yoshida is waiting in his office when Nitta comes in. "Did you visit Ogawa-san's house?" he asks.

"I did, Yoshida-san," Nitta answered.

"How was his wife?"

"In shock, Yoshida-san. She's being looked after, though. I promised you would pay a hundred thousand yen towards the funeral."

Yoshida nods. "I intend to pay two hundred thousand. It is the least I can do. I hope it was worth it."

"Until I visited the house, I thought it was," Nitta tells him. "But I couldn't find Doctor Ogawa's briefcase and personal notes there, and they weren't in his office or the lab. His wife had a basket of flowers that were apparently delivered from you, except you didn't order them. I think the agent got into her house under the cover of the delivery and stole the briefcase. And since we don't know what was in it, there's no way to tell what he now knows or has passed on."

"How do you know it was the same man?"

"Who else would it be, Yoshida-san? And I didn't bother asking the grieving widow. Who remembers a florist?"

"So what do you think we should do?"

Nitta lights a cigarette. "I think we have to move fast. Get all of this over quickly and cover it up before any questions are even asked."

"Can it be done?"

"Yes, Yoshida-san. I'll finalise plans for a rendezvous tonight for as soon as possible. And we need to get rid of this spy."

"How?"

"We use Hidaka again. That way we can still plead ignorance. And we make certain that whoever the spy works for thinks twice before sending another agent to watch us."

Nitta takes a Type 64 silenced pistol out of his pocket and places it on Yoshida's desk.

* * *

As it gets dark, Goushi Ubai leaves his watch on the Taiho Building and takes the train home. It is Saturday night and the trains are crowded. People get on and off. The carriage is never less than three quarters full.

He does not see the figure in the corner of the carriage. It is small enough to be concealed by the taller passengers. A baggy blue hooded top and baseball cap make it nothing but an indistinct shape. Ubai glimpses it a few times during his journey, but does not look twice until he is heading south on the Keikyu Main Line. He sees it but does not react. He watches it in the reflections in the carriage windows. Three stations pass and the figure does not react.

On impulse, Ubai leaves the train at Zoshiki. A dozen other people get off with him. He walks quickly ahead of them down the steps from the station. He does not look back until he has reached the street. He sees nothing.

He walks up the street and then turns left into a dimly lit, enclosed street in a corridor between closed and locked shops. His shoes scrape on the ground and the sound echoes in the narrow passageway. He is half way through when he hears another set of footsteps behind him. He does not turn; he walks faster.

He rushes out onto Daiichi-Keihin. The highway is loud and crowded. He turns right and hurries down the road. He glances over his shoulder. The figure is following him. In the darkness, the blue sweater looks black. The face is hidden by shadow.

Ubai reaches the first road back towards the station and turns down it. He runs. He dodges around two people and a car. In twenty seconds his feet are aching. In thirty the pain reaches his knees. After a minute his lungs burn. His breathing deafens him. He doesn't dare look back.

He dashes under the railway track and passes the first junction. At the second one he is slowing so he turns left. He struggles on, slows, gasps, and stops. The alley is a dead end.

Exhaustion forces him down, his knees bent, hardly able to stand. He straightens and takes a step back towards the alley's entrance, then another. Then stops. The figure rounds the corner. Beneath the dark top, the chest is barely moving.

The figure walks forwards. Ubai stumbles back. One hand disappears beneath the jumper.

Ubai raises his hands in surrender. The figure keeps coming.

Finally, they are no more than ten metres apart. The distant lamp light flashes between the cap's brim and the hood. Goushi Ubai looks over the barrel of the pistol into Ken Hidaka's eyes.

"Wait!"

The dull crack of the shot does not leave the alleyway. Only Ubai sees the muzzle flash. He feels no pain, only the impact. He hits the ground on his back, unable to feel anything below the waist. Ken stands over him and the gun cracks again. This time he feels nothing at all. His hands slip across the road and through the growing pool of blood.

Ken turns his back and walks out of the alley. He pulls down his hood and takes off his cap. Then he jogs to the station. There is a payphone beside the entrance. He dials 119 and asks for an ambulance.

"There's a guy badly hurt near Zoshiki Station. He's lying in the road behind Li Snacks. There's blood everywhere."

"What's your –"

Ken hangs up the phone and walks away.


	7. Chapter Six: Ten Million Dollars

Chapter Six: Ten Million Dollars

On Sunday morning at nine, Weiss open the Koneko. Momoe comes in through the back and sits on a stool beside the cash register with her cat. Omi sweeps the floor. Aya arranges the stock. Youji opens the shutters. When they are only a quarter of the way open he pauses. The others look towards the entrance. Youji sighs and opens the shutters the rest of the way.

Manx is standing outside the shop.

"Good morning," Youji says. "I always think it's lovely to see you first thing."

"We'll be back later," Aya says to Momoe.

They take their places in the basement. Manx does not speak. She takes a tape recorder out of her bag and presses play.

Weiss listens to the familiar voice: "There's a guy badly hurt near Zoshiki Station. He's lying in the road behind Li Snacks. There's blood everywhere."

"Ken-kun!"

"What happened?"

"That call was made at eleven minutes past nine last night," Manx answers. "Ten minutes later, the ambulance service found our Taiho agent exactly where Ken said he would be. He'd been shot twice. The doctors removed a bullet from each leg. We think they came from a silenced pistol. When he regained consciousness after the surgery he said it was Ken who shot him."

"Will he recover?"

Manx nods. "He will survive. Both bullets hit him below the knee so he'll even walk again, but not for a long time."

"You don't shoot someone twice in the legs by accident," Youji mutters. "And he made that call to make sure the poor guy was found before he bled to death. Ogawa's tape did say that he'd programmed his subjects not to kill unless they'd been specifically ordered to. But why have Ken kill Ogawa and leave our agent alive?"

Omi raises his head and looks at Manx. "What are Kritiker's orders about Ken-kun?"

Aya straightens up. Youji takes an unlit cigarette out of his mouth. They all wait for Manx to speak.

"It's clear that Ken's become a victim of Taiho's process," she says eventually. "As a result he is a clear threat to Kritiker. However, he is also a valuable member of Weiss so efforts must be made to recover him and reverse the control."

"Thank you, Manx," Omi says.

"One more thing. Persia wants me to make it absolutely clear that if you do encounter Ken and he does try to protect the targets or stop you, then brainwashed or otherwise you ordered to use lethal force to prevent him from interfering with the mission. Do you understand?"

"We understand, Manx," Omi replies.

Manx picks up her bag and smiles quickly at Omi. "Good luck."

She leaves. Omi walks her out. Youji puts the cigarette back in his mouth and lights it. Aya sits down on the sofa next to him.

Omi comes back into the basement. He sits in the chair and faces the other two.

"Youji-kun, do you think it's possible Ken-kun was made to shoot our agent because the targets were simply concerned about outside surveillance and are about to do something they did not want to be witnessed by anyone?"

"It makes sense, I suppose," Youji replies. "Everything we've found out so far makes it look like they're worried about being monitored by someone, but it isn't us. Even though they've got Ken they don't seem to know about Kritiker at all."

"And if the shooting is part of this plan then do you think the death of Doctor Ogawa was as well?"

"It almost has to be, especially if they used Ken for both. There's no other reason for them to kill him. It has to be part of a plan we don't know about."

"They killed the doctor on Friday and shot the Kritiker agent yesterday. Whatever they are going to do, they'll do it soon."

"I think so too, Aya-kun. Since today is Sunday and most of Taiho's employees will be at home, today is the ideal day for the targets to carry out a plan and also for us to do the mission. But first I think we should first find out what we can at Major Nitta's apartment. He'll probably have spare security passes for the Taiho Building and maybe even something we can use to save Ken-kun."

Youji leaves his cigarette in the ash tray to burn out. "Just one thing, Omi. What do you think this secret plan of theirs actually is?"

"It doesn't matter, Youji-kun," Omi tells him. "We will make sure that they are not alive long enough to carry it out."

* * *

Nitta sits at the small computer in his apartment and carefully types an email. He sends it, then slips 100 MB zip disk into the computer's external drive and starts a file transfer. For a minute and a half the zip drive clicks and whirs. When the transfer is complete, Nitta puts the large disk in his jacket pocket, closes down the computer and leaves the apartment.

It is Sunday afternoon and the traffic is light so he drives to Setagaya in his Nissan. Yoshida is in his office studying the accounts for Ogawa's project.

"Major, if we do not get substantial investment in this project once it is completed it could cause the company some serious financial problems."

Nitta sits. "Yoshida-san, you and I both know this project will never reach the military no matter what the Defence Minister guarantees. No one in the Diet would approve it and neither would any of my superiors, even if they are short of manpower. That's why we decided on this plan in the first place."

"And the company?"

"Yoshida-san, whatever happens to the company will happen whether or not we finish our plan. You know that."

"I do. Is everything ready?"

Nitta takes the disk out of his pocket. "The entire project is on this file. Everything required to understand and replicate the process. All of Doctor Ogawa's work. I asked for a meeting here at eight tonight. I'm just waiting for confirmation."

"Then it should all be over tomorrow," Yoshida says. "I'm glad."

* * *

Outside Nitta's building, a woman returns from the gym wearing a track suit and with her hair in a tangled pony-tail. At the door she fumbles in her bag for the keys. When she gets the door open, a dark haired young man holds it for her. He gives her a broad, appreciative smile. She drops her eyes demurely and smiles back, then goes through the door and into the elevator as the man pauses to stub out his cigarette.

Youji exchanges one more smile with the girl as the elevator doors cut off his view of her. Then he pushes the door open again so Aya and Omi can get through.

"Thank you, Youji-kun."

"Number 43," Youji says.

The corridor outside the apartment is empty. Youji takes a collection of lock-picks out of his pocket and knees down by the door. The other two keep watch. The tools scrape in the lock for two minutes before there is a click and Youji opens the door.

The apartment is small and cramped. The bedroom is filled by the bed. In the main room there is a desk between two cabinets with a computer on it.

"Youji-kun, could you watch the door?"

Youji slips out of the room. Omi turns on the computer and sits in front of it. Aya stands behind him with his arms crossed.

The computer asks for a password. Omi enters Nitta's birthday, his mother's maiden name, and his sister's name. When he enters Nitta's serial number, the computer accepts it.

There is a large file on the desktop. Omi opens it and scans the list of text files and digital videos. He opens a video and watches the first of the homeless attackers doing press-ups and sit-ups for a few minutes. He scans along the list and opens a recording of Fukashi Ishiguro's death that jerks and jumps as the handheld camera is knocked by the scattering crowd.

"They were recording the murders," Aya says.

"Yes, Aya-kun. But why does Nitta have them?"

Omi opens Nitta's email account. The first email stands out because he cannot read it.

"It's Chinese, Aya-kun! I can speak some Chinese but not well enough to read it. Youji-kun, can you read Chinese?"

"I'm afraid not," Youji calls back. "English, Italian and precisely one sentence of French but no Chinese. Sorry."

"I can read Chinese," Aya says.

Omi blushes. "Oh. I'm sorry, Aya-kun. How good are you?"

"I did Mandarin at school. Father said I should learn it."

"What does it say?"

Aya leans over the screen. "Nitta is asking for a meeting. He gives the address of the Taiho Building. The meeting will be tonight at eight. I don't know what that word is. He will hand over all the information in exchange for..." He stops reading, blinks and looks again. "Ten million US dollars."

"Ten million dollars, Aya-kun?"

"Ten million dollars."

"They must be trying to sell the process!" Omi exclaims. "That's what they were so afraid of! They were trying to sell it and they didn't want to be found out!"

Youji leans around the door. "They took out our guy because they thought he was watching them for whoever they're getting their funding from. And if they were worried about that they might have killed Ogawa because a dead man makes a great fall guy if they do get found out."

"I think that's possible, Youji-kun."

"Is there anything else useful in there? What about that word Aya doesn't know?"

Aya scans the characters one by one. "Zhishengji," he reads. "I don't know what that means. I don't think it's important."

"If you say so, Aya-kun. Maybe one of these other files will tell us how to help Ken-kun."

The last video in the file is labelled 'Hidaka'. Omi opens it and watches Ken exercise, fight and shoot.

"Ken-kun," he whispers.

There is a loud click from behind them. "Raise your hands and turn around!"

Aya takes two steps around. Omi turns in the chair. Nitta stands in the doorway. As they turn, the pistol in his hands drops a few centimetres as he looks at them.

"What are you doing here?"

Nitta raises the gun. Omi and Aya do not speak. Youji steps silently out of the door behind the soldier and drops the razor wire around his neck.

Nitta starts to turn. Youji pulls back as hard as he can. Nitta drops the gun and claws at his throat. He kicks backwards, driving Youji into the wall. Youji tightens his grip. The wire bites into Nitta's skin and blood trickles down his neck. He opens his mouth to scream but all that comes out is a gurgle. His hands bat at Youji's shoulders, face and arms. He knocks his own glasses off, they strike the floor and break. His knees begin to buckle, but Youji holds him up. His eyes roll back; the capillaries in them have burst.

Nitta's body spasms, then it sags. The gurgling stops. Youji holds the whole weight up until his arm muscles burn. He counts to ten and lets go of the wire. The corpse hits the floor with a dull thud. Youji bends down, unwinds the wire, checks for a pulse and straightens up.

"He's dead. Sorry about that, Omi. I had to wait till he had his back to me."

Omi turns back to the computer. He opens the text file about Ken and scans it. Then he opens the reports on the other subjects. He skims them and closes some. He checks Ken's report again, then turns his chair to face the others.

"I think I might have something."

"What is it?"

Omi takes a breath. "Most of the subjects were sedated when they were captured, but some of them had to be hit with a stun gun. A taser. Ken-kun was tasered. With Ken-kun and the others like him, Doctor Ogawa waited at least twelve hours until he performed the procedure. The ones who were sedated were put through the process almost immediately. It's in all of the reports and he mentioned it on his Dictaphone."

"That's right, he did. So you think that a taser disrupts whatever they do?"

"Probably, Youji-kun. The process seems to be electrical in nature so a severe electrical shock might disrupt it. Perhaps enough to reverse it entirely."

"Perhaps?"

"Unfortunately, Aya-kun, there's no way to be sure."

"Well, it's the best plan we've got," Youji says. "If nothing else a taser will knock Ken out until we can think of something better."

There is a beep from Nitta's computer. They turn towards it and Omi opens the short email which has just arrived.

"The meeting tonight is confirmed," Aya translates.

Youji looks at his watch. "Four hours, Omi. Not much time."

Omi nods. He smiles.

"I think it's enough time, Youji-kun."


	8. Chapter Seven: Helipad

Chapter Seven: Helipad

Weiss arrive at the Taiho Building at half past seven. The sun has set but it is not yet dark.

A security guard sits in a booth watching the car park's pedestrian entrance. He reads an old copy of _Legend of the Galactic Heroes_. He looks up from the book as Youji hammers on the window of the booth.

"Can you tell me where the nearest station is? I've got a date and I'm so late."

The guard opens the booth's door and points. "Down there. Just keep going straight ahead. It's only a few minutes away."

"Thanks," Youji says.

A dart hits the guard just under his right shoulder-blade. He feels the bite and starts to reach around for it. Then his vision blurs, he stumbles forward and falls. Youji catches him, holds him up and drags him into the booth. He pulls the dart out and lays him down.

Aya uses Nitta's security card to open the gate. The car park is almost empty. They walk through it and into the elevator at the far end. Omi pushes the button for the fifteenth floor.

The fifteenth floor is nearly empty. Omi leads them out of the elevator and to the right. They stop at the junction and wait for a cleaner to pass, then they continue to the door of the security office.

Youji hammers on the door. "Hey! Get out here, there's something you need to see!"

The guard on office watch opens the door and looks at Youji. He opens his mouth, then a dart strikes his chest and he falls. Youji and Aya pull him into the office.

Omi sits at the computer and flicks through the security feeds of the building's cameras. None of them show anything unusual.

"What about the floors with the lab in them and the roof?" Youji asks.

"There are no cameras there, Youji-kun," Omi tells him.

Omi checks the cameras again and then disarms the security systems and powers down the equipment. As they leave the room, Youji checks his watch. It is quarter to eight.

Yoshida waits in Doctor Ogawa's office. He sits in the chair, tapping the zip disk against the desk with his left hand. Ken stands in front of the desk silently. He wears khaki fatigues, gloves, and a Kevlar vest.

"Where is Nitta?" Yoshida mutters to himself.

There is a footstep in the corridor outside. Ken straightens. The door bursts open and Omi comes through with a dart between his fingers. Aya and Youji are behind him. He sees Ken and stops.

"Ken-kun?"

Yoshida rises from his chair. "Who are you?"

"Weiss," Aya says.

Yoshida looks towards the office's second door. "Hidaka! Stop them!"

"Oh, shit," Youji says.

Ken lunges forward. He catches Omi's arm and twists it. Omi drops the dart and cries out in pain.

Youji fires his wire towards Yoshida. Ken throws Omi into him. The wire goes high. Yoshida ducks under it and reaches the door.

Aya grabs Ken's arm and pulls him forward. He throws a hard punch at Ken's head. Ken twists and the blow catches him behind the ear. He jabs at Aya's kidneys. Aya gasps and loosens his grip. Ken pulls free and springs back through the office door. He slams it behind him and wedges a chair under the handle. Then he follows Yoshida.

Youji helps Aya to his feet. "Where's he going?"

"It must be the roof, Youji-kun."

They run towards the staircase. The door closes as they reach it. On the other side, Yoshida has reached the second tier of steps. Ken stops half way up, turns and waits. Youji flicks his wire out around Ken's ankle and pulls. Ken catches the banister but slips down a step. Aya leaps up towards him, but Ken kicks with his free foot and Aya falls back. Youji pulls again. Ken lets go of the banisters and throws himself forwards. He hits Youji with both feet and knocks him down the stairs. Youji rolls sideways down six steps and lies still at the bottom.

"Youji-kun!"

"Go!" Aya shouts.

Omi leaps past Ken. Ken reaches out for him. Aya grabs Ken's arm. Ken punches Aya hard in the face and Aya drops. Ken untangles the wire from his ankle and follows Omi up the stairs.

Youji pushes himself to his feet. He walks up the steps slowly. He helps Aya to his feet and they support each other as they climb.

Omi reaches the top of the pulls the door open. He is knocked back by a blast of wind. Ken catches him and drags him back through the door. Omi drives his elbow into Ken's neck and kicks backwards into Ken's left knee. Ken's leg buckles. Omi kicks again and Ken goes down on one knee. Omi tears away from him and runs forward. The wind hits him and pushes him back.

Youji and Aya stumble through the door onto the roof. It is lit from above by a brilliant spotlight. The artificial wind beats against them. The roar of an engine fills the air. Yoshida stands on the edge of the Taiho Building's helipad.

"It means helicopter!" Youji shouts.

Yoshida raises the M9 pistol and fires three shots. Omi ducks. The bullets ring off the roof. Youji drops his hand into his pocket onto the barrel of Nitta's silenced pistol but does not draw it.

"Keep Ken away from Omi!" Youji yells. "I'll take care of the chopper!"

Youji runs towards the helipad. Omi moves right, he moves left. Ken follows Omi. Aya draws his sword and runs forward.

Ken jumps back as Aya swings. The sword grazes the vest. Aya stabs. Ken steps sideways and springs forward. Aya goes backwards and stops. He keeps the blade pointing forward. Ken waits just out of range.

Youji reaches the edge of the helipad. Another bullet whistles past him. Yoshida is a blur with the light behind him. The helicopter is twenty metres from the pad and descending. Youji pulls the gun from his pocket, points it at the light and pulls the trigger. The gun does not fire.

Ken takes a step back. Aya lunges. Ken does not move. The blade pierces the first layers of Kevlar and sticks. Ken grabs the top of the sword and wrenches sideways. The tip comes free and Aya is pulled forward. Ken kicks him in the stomach. Aya falls past Ken and lands on his knees, gasping for breath. Ken leaves him there and runs towards the pad.

Youji looks over the edge of the pad. The helicopter is ten metres from landing. He can see nothing but the light. The noise is deafening. He forces the gun's slide forward to cock it then aims it at the source of the light and noise. He pulls the trigger four times. He feels the gun fire but does not hear it. He does not hear three of the bullets strike the belly of the helicopter.

The noise changes as the helicopter turns and wheels away. The bright light vanishes. The wind disappears.

"No!" Yoshida yells. "Come back!" He fires two more shots towards Youji and one at Aya. "Hidaka! Kill them!"

Omi stands up at the side of the pad behind Yoshida. Ken leaps towards him. Omi fires his crossbow. The bolt hits Yoshida in the back. Yoshida screams and claws at the air. He tries to take a step forward. He falls, strikes the ground on his face, and lies still.

Ken jumps a roof fitting and lands on Omi. He slams Omi against the roof and wraps his hands around Omi's throat. Omi tries to speak but cannot. Then Youji kicks Ken as hard as he can in the side. He flips sideways and rolls away. Youji picks up Omi and hauls him away across the helipad. Ken stands up and follows.

Youji and Omi reach the centre of the helipad and stop. Ken stops in front of them. Aya crosses the pad and stands behind Ken. Youji lets go of Omi and they separate, moving apart to form a triangle.

"Ken-kun, please," Omi says. "We don't have to do this."

Youji grits his teeth. "Actually, Omi, I think we do."

Ken springs towards Youji. Youji kicks out but the kick does not land. Ken changes direction and his left fist strikes Omi in the jaw, knocking him down. Youji lands off balance and ducks Ken's next blow, sweeping his right leg out. Ken leaps back and lands in front of Aya. Aya punches him in the face. He rolls with it and strikes Aya hard in the stomach. Aya sinks forward. Ken steps around him and raises his hands above his exposed neck. Youji springs towards him and Ken leaps back.

Omi stumbles to his feet, shaking his head. Youji catches Aya and shoves him towards Omi. He steps in front of them. He faces Ken. Ken knows him, but he knows Ken.

He kicks out and kicks again. Ken goes back. Youji hooks with his right hand. Ken ducks. He jabs with his left. Ken catches the blow and twists. Youji seizes Ken's wrist and the wire hisses out of his watch and wraps around Ken's forearm.

"Omi! Aya!"

Omi draws a small taser from his pocket. Ken does not see it. He pulls against the wire, but it tightens and bites deeper. Youji holds Ken's arm and drags him forward. He kicks Ken hard in the stomach. The vest absorbs some of the force but Ken sags. Youji drags him around towards Aya. Ken kicks out and catches Aya in the hip. Aya stumbles but drives his elbow into the side of Ken's head. Youji kicks Ken's right knee. He swings his right arm down towards Ken. Ken catches it. Aya smashes the hilt of his sword into the back of Ken's head. Ken stumbles forward. Youji and Aya both kick him in the kneecaps. He falls to his knees.

Omi steps forward and slips the taser under his hair at the back of his neck. When the metal pins touch Ken's skin, his head jerks up. Omi activates the taser.

Ken's body spasms. His back arches. He grabs Youji's arm and squeezes. Five long seconds pass before Omi releases the button. Ken's eyes close. His body relaxes. He lets go of Youji and flops against the roof on his back.

Youji kneels next to him and delicately unwraps the wire from his arm. Omi checks the pulse at his neck. It is faint but regular. He undoes the vest and checks Ken's other injuries, particularly the bruise on the back of his head.

"How is he?" Aya asks.

"I think he'll be okay, Aya-kun," Omi replies. "We should get him to hospital just to be sure. Kritiker will tell us where to take him."

"When he wakes up," Youji says, "we're going to owe him one hell of an apology."

Omi radios Kritiker. Aya walks around the helipad checking for evidence of their presence. Youji's arms ache, but he scoops up Ken and carries him to the elevator.

Ken regains consciousness in the Magic Bus Hospital at twenty to seven the next morning. Omi and Youji are waiting in his room.

"Ken-kun, how do you feel?"

"Like I've been beaten, electrocuted and set on fire."

"Two out of three. What do you remember?"

"Everything. They asked me questions and I answered them. They told me to do things and I did. I drowned Ogawa and I shot someone. Was he Kritiker? Is he alright?"

"He'll be fine, Ken."

Ken sags in the bed. "Thank God. Oh, and Youji, there's one more thing."

"What?"

"Come closer."

Youji leans over Ken. Ken punches him in the jaw.

"Ken-kun!"

"Fuck you, Youji! That's for letting them get me you, stupid bastard! I don't remember much about last night but I remember enough to know I didn't give you the kicking you deserve."

"Ken-kun, there was no way Youji-kun could have known. I'm sorry I let you down."

"I didn't want to punch you, Omi. Just him."

Youji leans over the bed again. "I'm sorry, Ken."

"I'll think about accepting that. At least you murdered those bastards before they made me kill someone innocent. And I'm sorry you had to go through me to do it. Sorry I hurt you, Omi. And tell Aya I'm sorry about whatever I did to him. Where the hell is Aya anyway? I didn't break his sword arm did I?"

"Just his nose. He's around somewhere."

"I should let Kritiker know you're okay, Ken-kun."

"Sure, Omi."

Omi leaves. Youji sits on the edge of Ken's bed and gives him a sip of his Calpis water.

"So what did I do to you?" Ken asks.

"Just a sprained left wrist," Youji tells him. "Although you did kick me down a flight of stairs too."

Ken nods. "There's some justice in the world then. How long do I have to stay here?"

"A day or two. Before they let you out, Manx is going to come by to check you're no longer under the influence of whatever it was they did to you."

"Great."

"You have got a will of your own back haven't you?"

"I hit you, didn't I?"

"Recite the Twenty-Third Psalm."

"Fuck off, Kudou."

"Just checking."

_The End_


End file.
